The Self Destruction of the NFL

You may or may not have heard that the NFL collective bargaining agreement is in danger of expiring without being renewed, because the players union and NFL management can't agree on a few things. The implications of this happening are detailed in this article.

In short, if this agreement isn't renewed, you can say goodbye to the new and improved NFL. Remember how I've been talking about other sports needing a salary cap? If things go the way it looks like they will, the 07-08 season will be "uncapped", and according to Gene Upshaw, the union representative, once that happens, the players will never agree to a salary cap again. And he's probably right. All three other major sports organizations have tried to work out a salary cap. Why? Because it's good for everyone. It breeds more competitiveness (is that a word?). The small market teams can compete, because they're not being outspent by the big market teams. It's basically an equalizer. They say, "Alright. Everyone has the same amount of money to spend on player salaries. Now go see what you can get." If this deal falls through, you can expect to see the big market dynasties come back. You want to see Seattle win a Super Bowl? Forget about it. Indianapolis? Same boat. It can happen, technically of course, but what you'll see is more teams like the Cowboys of the 90s and the 49ers of the 80s. Who wants that? I know I don't. The salary cap has helped football become by far the most popular sport in the country. And if the people in charge of getting this agreement done can't see that, then they deserve what happens when the deal runs out.

The problem is that the fans in large market cities probably won't care as much, because their teams are the ones with the money. If there was a big enough fan backlash, there might be some voices to be heard by the higher-ups. And maybe I'm wrong. Maybe those who are screwed by this situation will pipe up and say something. At least I hope so. But if what Len Pasqurelli says in his article is true, the fans won't be the only ones upset. And no one will have anyone to blame but themselves. The want of more money could be the downfall of the NFL as we know it, and that makes one angry Philly fan angrier than he was before.